Andrew Jackson: Zero of the People!

What is this "Constitution" you speak of?

Andrew Jackson: Zero of the People!

What is this "Constitution" you speak of?

He was a voice for the common man... as long as you're white.

During his presidency, Andrew Jackson lifted property requirements, therefore expanding the right to vote to all white men. It was touted as a really big deal at the time, touting Jackson as a "voice for the common man," but if you really think about it, the expansion was actually kind of small on the road to equality. The ladies of America still couldn't vote for nearly a century afterwards, and slavery was still far from gone. I guess a better term for Jackson would be "the champion of lazy white guys still living in their parents' basement everywhere!" Equality? Yeah, sure Jackson...

He ordered the removal an entire people to get more land we didn't need!

Throughout much of early American history, white settlers had been quarreling with the Native American tribes for land and resources, with examples of the clash dating back as early as the settlement of Jamestown. But by far one of the biggest offenses has to be Andrew Jackson's forced relocation of the Cherokee to "Indian Territory" (modern-day Oklahoma) along the Trail of Tears. Not only did he order the removal of an entire people to an unfamiliar land with insufficient resources and shelter, he did so against the ruling of the Supreme Court, therefore making his actions unconstitutional. This begs the question: If Jackson is such a hero, then why would he forcibly move a people from their homeland through terrible weather conditions to a new territory on the grounds of a personal prejudice and the promise of gold? Well, you sure can't blame it on Van Buren...

He Placed a Tariff on Imported Goods the South Relied On And Enforced Them At Gunpoint!

One of the many controversial acts Jackson passed during his "king-but-not-a-King" presidency was "The Tariff of Abomination" (also known as the Tariff of 1832). Tariffs were a pressing issue in early America, with the North mainly supporting protective tariffs on imported goods, as they helped ensure the growth of domestic businesses and American industry. However, the South had a HUGE problem with the tariffs, as since they were a mainly agricultural region, they still relied heavily on imported goods. Therefore, when Jackson passed the "Tariff of Abomination", the South was understandably quite furious. So furious, in fact, that South Carolina declared that they had nullified the tariff, and threatened secession if the government tried to interfere. Jackson, in an effort to try and get South Carolina to pay, passes the Force Bill, which said that Jackson could enlist the help of the US Army to help them pay (because what's more persuasive than the barrel of a gun at the back of your head?), and everything was beginning to turn into a big mess. Cue Henry Clay, King of Band-Aids, to draft the Compromise of 1832, which said that the North would take more of the protective tariffs to compensate. Everything was patched up for the time being... but every band-aid must sooner or later be ripped off...

Nullification Crisis Cartoon

This cartoon illustrates the economic differences between the northern and southern states, with the north occupying an industrial niche in the national economy, while the south mainly relied on agricultural business and imported goods from Europe, and further illustrating potential reasons why the South disagreed with the Tariff of 1832.